SEC Petition Evaluation Report 

Petition SEC-00131 

Report Rev #: 0 Report Submittal Date: June 30, 2009

Subject Expert(s): Donald R. Watkins, Monica Harrison-Maples, Riasp Medora, Kyle Kleinhans, James 

K. Alexander, and Jack Beck 

Site Expert(s): N/A 

Petition Administrative Summary 

Petition Under Evaluation 

Petition # Petition 

Type 

Petition 

Qualification Date 

DOE/AWE Facility Name 

SEC-00131 83.13 January 26, 2009 Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Petitioner Class Definition 

All employees of Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company for the period from 1948 through 1998. 

Class Evaluated by NIOSH 

All employees of Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company located at 110 Hopkins Street, Buffalo, New York, for the 

period from January 1, 1951 through December 31, 1952 and/or during the residual period from January 1, 

1953 through December 31, 1998. 

NIOSH-Proposed Class(es) to be Added to the SEC 

None 

Related Petition Summary Information 

SEC Petition Tracking #(s) Petition Type DOE/AWE Facility Name Petition Status 

N/A 

Related Evaluation Report Information 

Report Title DOE/AWE Facility Name 

N/A 

ORAU Lead Technical Evaluator: Donald R. Watkins ORAU Review Completed By: Daniel Stempfley 

Peer Review Completed By: [Signature on file] 6/30/2009 

Sam Glover Date 

SEC Petition Evaluation Reviewed By: [Signature on file] 6/30/2009 

J. W. Neton Date 

SEC Evaluation Approved By: [Signature on file] 6/30/2009 

Larry Elliott Date 
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Evaluation Report Summary: SEC-00131, Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co. 

This evaluation report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 

addresses a class of employees proposed for addition to the Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) per the 

Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 

§ 7384 et seq. (EEOICPA) and 42 C.F.R. pt. 83, Procedures for Designating Classes of Employees as 

Members of the Special Exposure Cohort under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness 

Compensation Program Act of 2000. 

Petitioner-Requested Class Definition

Petition SEC-00131, qualified on January 26, 2009, requested that NIOSH consider the following 

class: All employees of Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company, for the period from January 1, 1948 through 

December 31, 1998.

Class Evaluated by NIOSH

Based on its preliminary research, NIOSH accepted the petitioner-requested class and revised the 

operational start date based on the covered period determined by the Department of Labor. The 

covered period start date changed from 1948 to 1951. Therefore, NIOSH evaluated the following 

class: All employees of Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company located at 110 Hopkins Street, Buffalo, New 

York, for the period from January 1, 1951 through December 31, 1952 and/or during the residual 

period from January 1, 1953 through December 31, 1998. 

NIOSH-Proposed Class(es) to be Added to the SEC

Based on its full research of the class under evaluation, NIOSH has obtained process information and 

air monitoring data collected during the Bliss rod-turning operations, and has assessed Battelle-TBD6000, Battelle-TBD-6001, and monitoring data bounding similar operations at other sites. Based on 

its analysis of these available resources, NIOSH found no part of the class under evaluation for which 

it cannot estimate radiation doses with sufficient accuracy. 

Feasibility of Dose Reconstruction

Per EEOICPA and 42 C.F.R. § 83.13(c)(1), NIOSH has established that it has access to sufficient 

information to: (1) estimate the maximum radiation dose, for every type of cancer for which radiation 

doses are reconstructed, that could have been incurred in plausible circumstances by any member of 

the class; or (2) estimate radiation doses of members of the class more precisely than an estimate of 

maximum dose. Information available from the site profile and additional resources is sufficient to 

document or estimate the maximum internal and external potential exposure to members of the 

evaluated class under plausible circumstances during the specified period. 

Health Endangerment Determination

Per EEOICPA and 42 C.F.R. § 83.13(c)(3), a health endangerment determination is not required 

because NIOSH has determined that it has sufficient information to estimate dose for the members of 

the evaluated class. 
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Table of Contents 

Evaluation Report Summary: SEC-00131, Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co. ................................................. 3 

1.0 Purpose and Scope.......................................................................................................................... 7 

2.0 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 7 

3.0 SEC-00131 Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co. Class Definitions............................................................. 8 

3.1 Petitioner-Requested Class Definition and Basis.................................................................. 8 

3.2 Class Evaluated by NIOSH ................................................................................................... 9 

3.3 NIOSH-Proposed Class(es) to be Added to the SEC ............................................................ 9 

4.0 Data Sources Reviewed by NIOSH to Evaluate the Class............................................................. 9 

4.1 Site Profile Technical Basis Documents (TBDs) ................................................................ 10 

4.2 Technical Information Bulletins (TIBs) .............................................................................. 10 

4.3 Facility Employees and Experts .......................................................................................... 10 

4.4 Previous Dose Reconstructions ........................................................................................... 11 

4.5 NIOSH Site Research Database .......................................................................................... 12 

4.6 Other Technical Sources...................................................................................................... 12 

4.7 Documentation and/or Affidavits Provided by Petitioners ................................................. 12 

5.0 Radiological Operations Relevant to the Class Evaluated by NIOSH ......................................... 13 

5.1 Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co. Plant and Process Descriptions ............................................... 13 

5.2 Radiological Exposure Sources from Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co. Operations ................... 15 

5.2.1 Internal Radiological Exposure Sources from Bliss & Laughlin Operations.......... 15 

5.2.1.1 Uranium.................................................................................................... 16 

5.2.2 External Radiological Exposure Sources from Bliss & Laughlin Operations ........ 16 

5.2.2.1 Photon....................................................................................................... 16 

5.2.2.2 Beta........................................................................................................... 16 

5.2.2.3 Neutron..................................................................................................... 17 

6.0 Summary of Available Monitoring Data for the Class Evaluated by NIOSH ............................. 18 

6.1 Available Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co. Internal Monitoring Data ........................................ 18 

6.2 Available Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co. External Monitoring Data ....................................... 18 

7.0 Feasibility of Dose Reconstruction for the Class Evaluated by NIOSH ...................................... 19 

7.1 Pedigree of Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company Data ............................................................ 19 

7.1.1 Internal Monitoring Data Pedigree Review............................................................. 20 

7.1.2 External Monitoring Data Pedigree Review............................................................ 20 

7.2 Evaluation of Bounding Internal Radiation Doses at Bliss & Laughlin ............................. 21 

7.2.1 Evaluation of Bounding Process-Related Internal Doses........................................ 21 

7.2.1.1 Airborne Levels........................................................................................ 21 

7.2.1.2 Alternative Data Sources for Bounding Internal Dose............................. 22 

7.2.2 Evaluation of Bounding Residual Period Internal Doses ........................................ 22 

7.2.3 Methods for Bounding Internal Dose at Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company ............ 22 
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7.2.3.1 Methods for Bounding Operational Period Internal Dose........................ 22 

7.2.3.2 Methods for Bounding Residual Period Internal Dose............................. 24 

7.2.4 Internal Dose Reconstruction Feasibility Conclusion ............................................. 24 

7.3 Evaluation of Bounding External Radiation Doses at Bliss & Laughlin ............................ 25 

7.3.1 Evaluation of Bounding Process-Related External Doses....................................... 25 

7.3.2 Evaluation of Bounding Residual Period External Doses....................................... 25 

7.3.3 Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company Occupational X-Ray Examinations ................... 26 

7.3.4 Methods for Bounding External Dose at Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company........... 26 

7.3.4.1 Methods for Bounding Operational Period External Dose....................... 26 

7.3.4.2 Methods for Bounding Residual Period External Doses.......................... 27 

7.3.5 External Dose Reconstruction Feasibility Conclusion............................................ 28 

7.4 Evaluation of Petition Basis for SEC-00131 ....................................................................... 28 

7.4.1 Uranium Rolling and Lack of Monitoring............................................................... 28 

7.5 Summary of Feasibility Findings for Petition SEC-00131.................................................. 29 

8.0 Evaluation of Health Endangerment for Petition SEC-00131...................................................... 30 

9.0 Class Conclusion for Petition SEC-00131 ................................................................................... 30 

10.0 References .................................................................................................................................... 33 

Attachment 1: Data Capture Synopsis................................................................................................... 37 

Figure 

7-1: Comparison of Estimated Internal Dose (Battelle-TBD-6000 vs. B&L Air Data)....................... 23 

Tables 

4-1: No. of Bliss & Laughlin Steel Claims Submitted Under the Dose Reconstruction Rule .............. 11

7-1: Adjustment Factors for Depletion of Source Term During the Residual Period........................... 24

7-2: Estimated Daily Doses and External Exposure Pathways for Uranium Machining ...................... 26

7-3: Dose Rates from Drums of Uranium Compounds......................................................................... 27

7-4: Summary of Feasibility Findings for SEC-00131.......................................................................... 29
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SEC Petition Evaluation Report for SEC-00131

ATTRIBUTION AND ANNOTATION: This is a single-author document. All conclusions drawn from 

the data presented in this evaluation were made by the ORAU Team Lead Technical Evaluator: 

Donald R. Watkins, Oak Ridge Associated Universities. These conclusions were peer-reviewed by the 

individuals listed on the cover page. The rationales for all conclusions in this document are explained 

in the associated text.

1.0 Purpose and Scope 

This report evaluates the feasibility of reconstructing doses for all employees of Bliss & Laughlin 

Steel Company for the period from January 1, 1951 through December 31, 1952 and/or during the 

residual period from January 1, 1953 through December 31, 1998. It provides information and 

analyses germane to considering a petition for adding a class of employees to the congressionallycreated SEC. 

This report does not make any determinations concerning the feasibility of dose reconstruction that 

necessarily apply to any individual energy employee who might require a dose reconstruction from 

NIOSH. This report also does not contain the final determination as to whether the proposed class 

will be added to the SEC (see Section 2.0). 

This evaluation was conducted in accordance with the requirements of EEOICPA, 42 C.F.R. pt. 83, 

and the guidance contained in the Office of Compensation Analysis and Support’s (OCAS) Internal 

Procedures for the Evaluation of Special Exposure Cohort Petitions, OCAS-PR-004. 

2.0 Introduction 

Both EEOICPA and 42 C.F.R. pt. 83 require NIOSH to evaluate qualified petitions requesting that the 

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) add a class of employees to the SEC. The 

evaluation is intended to provide a fair, science-based determination of whether it is feasible to 

estimate with sufficient accuracy the radiation doses of the class of employees through NIOSH dose 

reconstructions.1

 

42 C.F.R. § 83.13(c)(1) states: Radiation doses can be estimated with sufficient accuracy if NIOSH 

has established that it has access to sufficient information to estimate the maximum radiation dose, 

for every type of cancer for which radiation doses are reconstructed, that could have been incurred in 

plausible circumstances by any member of the class, or if NIOSH has established that it has access to 

sufficient information to estimate the radiation doses of members of the class more precisely than an 

estimate of the maximum radiation dose.

 

Under 42 C.F.R. § 83.13(c)(3), if it is not feasible to estimate with sufficient accuracy radiation doses 

for members of the class, then NIOSH must determine that there is a reasonable likelihood that such 

 

1

 NIOSH dose reconstructions under EEOICPA are performed using the methods promulgated under 42 C.F.R. pt. 82 and 

the detailed implementation guidelines available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ocas. 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co.

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radiation doses may have endangered the health of members of the class The regulation requires 

NIOSH to assume that any duration of unprotected exposure may have endangered the health of 

members of a class when it has been established that the class may have been exposed to radiation 

during a discrete incident likely to have involved levels of exposure similarly high to those occurring 

during nuclear criticality incidents. If the occurrence of such an exceptionally high-level exposure has 

not been established, then NIOSH is required to specify that health was endangered for those workers 

who were employed for at least 250 aggregated work days within the parameters established for the 

class or in combination with work days within the parameters established for other SEC classes 

(excluding aggregate work day requirements). 

NIOSH is required to document its evaluation in a report, and to do so, relies upon both its own dose 

reconstruction expertise as well as technical support from its contractor, Oak Ridge Associated 

Universities (ORAU). Once completed, NIOSH provides the report to both the petitioner(s) and to the 

Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (Board). The Board will consider the NIOSH 

evaluation report, together with the petition, petitioner(s) comments, and other information the Board 

considers appropriate, in order to make recommendations to the Secretary of HHS on whether or not 

to add one or more classes of employees to the SEC. Once NIOSH has received and considered the 

advice of the Board, the Director of NIOSH will propose a decision on behalf of HHS. The Secretary 

of HHS will make the final decision, taking into account the NIOSH evaluation, the advice of the 

Board, and the proposed decision issued by NIOSH. As part of this decision process, petitioners may 

seek a review of certain types of final decisions issued by the Secretary of HHS.2

 

3.0 SEC-00131 Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co. Class Definitions 

The following subsections address the evolution of the class definition for SEC-00131, Bliss & 

Laughlin Steel Company. When a petition is submitted, the requested class definition is reviewed as 

submitted. Based on its review of the available site information and data, NIOSH will make a 

determination whether to qualify for full evaluation all, some, or no part of the petitioner-proposed 

class. If some portion of the petitioner-proposed class is qualified, NIOSH will specify that class 

along with a justification for any modification of petitioner’s class. After a full evaluation of the 

qualified class, NIOSH will determine whether to propose a class for addition to the SEC and will 

specify that proposed class definition. 

3.1 Petitioner-Requested Class Definition and Basis 

Petition SEC-00131, qualified on January 26, 2009, requested that NIOSH consider the following 

class for addition to the SEC: All employees of Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company, for the period from 

1948 through 1998.

The petitioner provided information and affidavit statements in support of the petitioner’s belief that 

accurate dose reconstruction over time is impossible for the Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company workers 

in question. NIOSH deemed the following information and affidavit statements sufficient to qualify 

SEC-00131 for evaluation: 

2

 See 42 C.F.R. pt. 83 for a full description of the procedures summarized here. Additional internal procedures are 

available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ocas. 
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The petitioner indicated that there are no monitoring records available at NIOSH to the best 

of their knowledge. The petitioner referred to documents and research materials that 

indicate radiation exposures occurred and but were not monitored. (OSA Ref ID: 107118) 

Based on its Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company research and data capture efforts, NIOSH determined 

that it has access to air sample data and process information for the Bliss & Laughlin work during the 

time period under evaluation. However, NIOSH also determined that no air sample data were 

available for the first rod-machining done in April 1951; therefore, records are not complete for all 

time periods. NIOSH concluded that there is sufficient documentation to support, for at least part of 

the proposed time period, the petition basis that internal and external radiation exposures and radiation 

doses were not adequately monitored at the Bliss & Laughlin site, either through personal monitoring 

or area monitoring. The information and statements provided by the petitioner qualified the petition 

for further consideration by NIOSH, the Board, and HHS. The details of the petition basis are 

addressed in Section 7.4. 

3.2 Class Evaluated by NIOSH 

Based on its preliminary research, NIOSH accepted the petitioner-requested class and revised the 

operational start date based on the covered period determined by the Department of Labor. The 

covered period start date changed from 1948 to 1951. Therefore, NIOSH defined the following class 

for further evaluation: All employees of Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company located at 110 Hopkins 

Street, Buffalo, New York, for the period from January 1, 1951 through December 31, 1952 and/or 

during the residual period from January 1, 1953 through December 31, 1998. 

3.3 NIOSH-Proposed Class(es) to be Added to the SEC 

Based on its research, NIOSH has obtained process information and air monitoring data collected 

during the Bliss rod-turning operations, and has assessed Battelle-TBD-6000 and monitoring data 

bounding similar operations at other sites. Based on its analysis of these available resources, NIOSH 

found no part of the class under evaluation for which it cannot estimate radiation doses with sufficient 

accuracy. 

4.0 Data Sources Reviewed by NIOSH to Evaluate the Class 

As a standard practice, NIOSH completed an extensive database and Internet search for information 

regarding Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company. The database search included the DOE Legacy 

Management Considered Sites database, the DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information 

(OSTI) database, the Energy Citations database, the Atomic Energy Technical Report database, and 

the Hanford Declassified Document Retrieval System. In addition to general Internet searches, the 

NIOSH Internet search included OSTI OpenNet Advanced searches, OSTI Information Bridge 

Fielded searches, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Agency-wide Documents Access and 

Management (ADAMS) web searches, the DOE Office of Human Radiation Experiments website, and 

the DOE-National Nuclear Security Administration-Nevada Site Office-search. 
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In addition to the database and Internet searches listed above, NIOSH identified and reviewed 

numerous data sources to determine information relevant to determining the feasibility of dose 

reconstruction for the class of employees under evaluation. This included determining the availability 

of information on personal monitoring, area monitoring, industrial processes, and radiation source 

materials. The following subsections summarize the data sources identified and reviewed by NIOSH. 

4.1 Site Profile Technical Basis Documents (TBDs) 

A Site Profile provides specific information concerning the documentation of historical practices at 

the specified site. Dose reconstructors can use the Site Profile to evaluate internal and external 

dosimetry data for monitored and unmonitored workers, and to supplement, or substitute for, 

individual monitoring data. A Site Profile consists of an Introduction and five Technical Basis 

Documents (TBDs) that provide process history information, information on personal and area 

monitoring, radiation source descriptions, and references to primary documents relevant to the 

radiological operations at the site. The Site Profile for a small site may consist of a single document. 

As part of NIOSH’s evaluation detailed herein, it examined the following TBDs for insights into Bliss 

& Laughlin Steel Company operations or related topics/operations at other sites: 

 Site Profiles for Atomic Weapons Employers that Worked Uranium and Thorium Metals, Battelle 

TBD-6000 PNWD-3738; Rev. FO; December 13, 2006; SRDB Ref ID: 30671 

 Site Profiles for Atomic Weapons Employers that Refined Uranium and Thorium, Battelle-TBD6001, Rev F0: December 13, 2006; SRDB Ref ID: 30673 

4.2 Technical Information Bulletins (TIBs) 

A Technical Information Bulletin (TIB) is a general working document that provides guidance for 

preparing dose reconstructions at particular sites or categories of sites. NIOSH reviewed the 

following TIBs as part of its evaluation: 

 Dose Reconstruction from Occupationally Related Diagnostic X-ray Procedures, ORAUT-OTIB0006, Rev 03 PC-1; Oak Ridge Associated Universities; December 21, 2005; SRDB Ref ID: 

20220 

 Dose Reconstruction During Residual Radioactivity Periods at Atomic Weapons Employer 

Facilities, ORAUT-OTIB-0070, Rev 00; Oak Ridge Associated Universities; March 10, 2008; 

SRDB Ref ID: 41603 

4.3 Facility Employees and Experts 

To obtain additional information, NIOSH attempted to interview four former Bliss & Laughlin 

employees, one Niagara LaSalle Steel Co. employee (now operating the former Bliss site), and one 

former National Lead of Ohio (NLO) employee. The individuals that worked at Niagara LaSalle Steel 

Co. and NLO, and the individual designated as a Bliss & Laughlin Chemist, were unable to provide 

any information because these individuals were not employed at NLO or Bliss & Laughlin during the 

class period under evaluation. The petitioner provided one individual’s name in the petition, but that 
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individual is now deceased. A review of Bliss & Laughlin claimants showed that most are deceased 

or not employed during the period when the uranium machining took place. Several attempts were 

made to contact an identified retired Bliss & Laughlin Machine Operator. No contact was 

accomplished and no response was received. 

 Personal Communication, 2009a, Personal Communication with Former Bliss & Laughlin 

Chemist; Telephone Interview by ORAU Team; March 5, 2009; SRDB Ref ID: 63717

 Personal Communication, 2009b, Personal Communication with Former National Lead of Ohio 

Employee; Telephone Interview by ORAU Team; March 6, 2009; SRDB Ref ID: 63719

 Personal Communication, 2009c, Personal Communication with Niagara LaSalle Steel Co. 

Employee; Telephone Interview by ORAU Team; March 9, 2009; SRDB Ref ID: 63718

 Personal Communication, 2009d, Personal Communication with Former Bliss & Laughlin Clerk; 

Telephone Interview by ORAU Team; March 24, 2009; SRDB Ref ID: 63712

 Personal Communication, 2009e, Personal Communication with Former Bliss & Laughlin 

Janitor; Telephone Interview by ORAU Team; March 25, 2009; SRDB Ref ID: 63713

4.4 Previous Dose Reconstructions 

NIOSH reviewed its NIOSH OCAS Claims Tracking System (NOCTS) to locate EEOICPA-related 

dose reconstructions that might provide information relevant to the petition evaluation. Table 4-1 

summarizes the results of this review. (NOCTS data available as of June 23, 2009.) 

Table 4-1: No. of Bliss & Laughlin Steel Claims Submitted Under the Dose Reconstruction Rule 

Description Totals 

Total number of claims submitted for dose reconstruction 23 

Total number of claims submitted for energy employees who meet the definition criteria for the class 

under evaluation January 1, 1951 through December 31, 1952 and/or January 1, 1953 through 

December 31, 1998 (residual period). 21 

Number of dose reconstructions completed for energy employees who meet the definition criteria for 

the class under evaluation (i.e., the number of such claims completed by NIOSH and submitted to the 

Department of Labor for final approval). 21 

Number of claims for which internal dosimetry records were obtained for the identified years in the 

evaluated class definition 0 

Number of claims for which external dosimetry records were obtained for the identified years in the 

evaluated class definition 0 
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NIOSH reviewed each claim to determine whether internal and/or external personal monitoring 

records could be obtained for the employee. All dose reconstructions performed to date were 

completed without any internal or external dosimetry data. External doses were estimated based on 

external exposure pathways determined from site operations, source term information, and claimantfavorable assumptions and parameters described in Battelle-TBD-6000. Internal dose was estimated 

based on airborne radioactivity data compiled from similar operations at other uranium metal 

processing facilities (Battelle-TBD-6000 and ORAUT-OTIB-0004). Actual air sample data are 

available for this facility and are found to be within the bounding estimates of the data from BattelleTBD-6000 (discussed further in Section 7.3). 

4.5 NIOSH Site Research Database 

NIOSH also examined its Site Research Database (SRDB) to locate documents supporting the 

evaluation of the proposed class. Approximately 200 documents in this database were identified as 

pertaining to the Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company site. These documents were evaluated for their 

relevance to this petition. The documents include historical background on site operations, air 

sampling data, progress reports listing types of work done at the facility with dates and quantities, and 

a facility description. 

4.6 Other Technical Sources 

A number of papers in technical journals that dealt with machining of uranium metal were also 

reviewed: 

 The Industrial Hygiene of Uranium Fabrication, W. B. Harris and I. Kingsley; American Medical 

Association Archives of Industrial Health, May 1959, Vol. 19, pp. 540-565; SRDB Ref ID: 15779 

(Harris, 1959) 

 The Industrial Hygiene of Uranium Fabrication, W. B. Harris (AEC Health and Safety 

Laboratory) and I. Kingsley (New York State Department of Labor); U.S. Atomic Energy 

Commission, New York Operations Office; HASL-39; June 6, 1958; SRDB Ref ID: 15785 

(HASL-39) 

4.7 Documentation and/or Affidavits Provided by Petitioners 

In qualifying and evaluating the petition, NIOSH reviewed the following documents submitted by the 

petitioners: 

 Excerpts from Radiological Survey of the Former Bliss and Laughlin Steel Company Facility, 

Buffalo, New York, J. D. Berger; June 1992; OSA Ref ID: 107118, pdf pp. 30-35

 Memo: Authorization for Remedial Action at Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company Site in Buffalo, New 

York, from J. W. Wagoner to L. Price; September 25, 1992; OSA Ref ID: 107118, pdf pp. 25-29 

 Excerpt: Radiological Survey of the Exterior Portions of the Former Bliss and Laughlin Steel 

Company Facility Buffalo, New York, T. J. Vitkus; January 1995; OSA Ref ID: 107118, pdf p. 15 
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 Portions of other documents contained in the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, 

Administrative Record File for Bliss & Laughlin FUSRAP Site, Buffalo, New York; OSA Ref ID: 

107118, pdf p. 24 

 Portion of a Narrative from [REDACTED FOR PRIVACY ACT CONCERNS], date unknown; 

OSA Ref ID: 107118, pdf p. 38 

 Finding of Fact excerpted from the Notice of Recommended Decision Statement of the Case, from 

DOL to Claimants; September 9, 2005; OSA Ref ID: 107118, pdf p. 39 

5.0 Radiological Operations Relevant to the Class Evaluated by 

NIOSH 

The following subsections summarize both radiological operations at the Bliss & Laughlin Steel 

Company during the applicable covered period at the site and the information available to NIOSH to 

characterize particular processes and radioactive source materials. From available sources NIOSH has 

gathered process and source descriptions, information regarding the identity and quantities of each 

radionuclide of concern, and information describing processes through which radiation exposures may 

have occurred and the physical environment in which they may have occurred. The information 

included within this evaluation report is intended only to be a summary of the available information. 

5.1 Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co. Plant and Process Descriptions 

The former Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company site is a 306,000 square foot tract located at 110 Hopkins 

Street in Lackawanna, New York, a suburb approximately four miles southeast of downtown Buffalo 

(FUSRAP, 1998a). Bliss & Laughlin operated the site from 1929 to 1971, producing cold-finished 

steel bars for heavy equipment such as automobiles, appliances, construction machinery, and farm 

equipment. The plant was closed by a strike in 1971 and was sold the following year. After a number 

of ownership changes, the plant is currently owned by the Niagara LaSalle Corporation. Bliss & 

Laughlin Steel was part of what was referred to as “The Buffalo Works,” portions of which were 

operated by Bliss & Laughlin, Bethlehem Steel, and American Car and Foundry. The operations 

performed by the “Buffalo Works” were transferred to the AEC-owned South Albuquerque Works in 

1952 (Buffalo, 2001; Bliss, 2001). 

The facility consists of a single slab-on-grade building with a floor area of approximately 129,600 

square feet. Site operations under evaluation in this report involved normal assay uranium metal 

owned by the AEC. Operations at Bliss & Laughlin consisted of machine-turning and straightening of 

rods to improve the rod diameter tolerance. The uranium metal-finishing operations were conducted 

at a location within the building designated as the Special Finishing Area that occupies approximately 

3,230 square feet of floor space. The floor in that area was characterized as rough surface concrete 

with several shallow utility trenches providing water, electricity, lubricant, and pneumatic plant 

services. 
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Available records indicate that Bliss & Laughlin performed five normal assay uranium rod-machining 

campaigns for the AEC: one in April 1951 and four in September and October 1952. During 

September and October 1952, Bliss & Laughlin was under contract to National Lead of Ohio (NLO) 

to machine and straighten uranium rods at the site. NLO was the AEC’s prime contractor for all 

operations at the Feed Materials Production Center at Fernald, Ohio, northwest of Cincinnati. 

Specific contractual arrangements for the work performed in 1951 are not known, although the work 

was clearly done under the auspices of AEC’s Tonawanda Area Office. The low-level radioactive 

contamination at the site is confined primarily to the floor space and three overhead rafters. The 

primary radiological constituent of concern is uranium and its radioactive decay products. 

An April 24, 1951 AEC New York Operations Office (NYOO) internal memo outlined plans for a 

“uranium fabrication test” (i.e., preliminary trials of the uranium rod-machining work to be conducted 

at Bliss & Laughlin). The preliminary work was to involve the transport of about two tons of normal 

assay uranium rods that had already been rough-rolled at Simonds Saw and Steel and temporarily 

stored at AEC’s nearby Lake Ontario Ordinance Works (LOOW) site. On April 24th or 25th, at least 

twenty 1-5/8” diameter rough-rolled rods were to be machined to a slightly smaller diameter using an 

unventilated lathe employing aqueous coolant. Following the machining, the finished rods and 

turnings were to be picked by an AEC carrier and trucked back to the LOOW, and subsequently to 

Bethlehem Steel for further rolling (NYOO, 1951; Tonawanda, Apr1951). An October 1951 letter 

from AEC’s Tonawanda Operations Office indicates that these planned preliminary uranium 

fabrication operations did take place at Bliss & Laughlin in spring 1951, and that the limited work 

activities resulted in at least four drums of dry uranium oxide that the AEC shipped to the 

Mallinckrodt Chemical Works in St. Louis, probably in November or December 1951 (Oxide, 1951; 

Stout, 1990a). 

The more substantial uranium rod-machining operations performed in September and October 1952 

were conducted on one Friday and three Saturdays. Weekend schedules were used to avoid 

significantly impacting normal operations, and possibly, to enhance security and radiological safety. 

Records indicate that AEC staff arranged for the transportation of all raw materials, wastes, and 

products to and from the site, and that Bliss & Laughlin personnel were not involved in these aspects 

of the operations. Documentation further states that all radiologically-contaminated equipment was 

removed and replaced at the close of uranium-machining operations. (Williams, 1992; Stout, 1990b; 

Fiore, 1992; FUSRAP, 1998a) 

Although no contract documents have been located, it is known that the 1952 AEC work was 

performed under a subcontract issued by National Lead of Ohio, operator of the AEC’s Feed Materials 

Production Center (FMPC) at Fernald, Ohio. NYOO records show that rough-rolled rods were 

shipped to Bliss & Laughlin from the LOOW site. After the machining work was completed, the 

finished products were shipped directly to the FMPC. Available records indicate that 53 drums of 

uranium turnings resulting from these operations were accumulated at LOOW for packaging under oil, 

and were then returned to the FMPC sometime in November 1952 (Tonawanda, Nov1952). 

No information has been located that specifies the total amount of product produced by the 1952 

operations; but, due to the relatively short duration of the operations, total quantities can be assumed 

to have been somewhat limited. (Berger, 1992b) However, if it is assumed that all 53 drums of the 

residual waste material were metal-turning chips, and that all 53 drums were of standard 55-gallon 

size and were all mostly full, then a significant number of rods may have been fabricated during these 
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operations (Stout, 1990a). A few documents provide some idea of the material volume and the 

process: 

 An AEC Tonawanda Area Office progress report states that, in late August or early September 

1952, ten truckloads of rolled uranium “rod in beams” were unloaded at LOOW by NLO workers. 

NLO personnel sorted these rods to determine which ones might already be acceptable for 

machining at the FMPC; “unacceptable” rods were to be taken to Bliss & Laughlin for “finishing 

to final size.” (Tonawanda, Aug1952) 

 A Tonawanda Area Office progress report dated October 1952 indicates that, during that month, 

31 beams of uranium rods were loaded at the LOOW and shipped to Bliss & Laughlin “for 

machining and consignment to NLO.” This document also reports that “all uranium turnings 

resulting from the Bliss & Laughlin operations have been returned via AEC truck to LOOW for 

packaging under oil and re-consignment from LOOW to Fernald.” (Tonawanda, Oct1952a) 

 A Tonawanda Area Office progress report for November 1952 reports that “Fifty-three drums of 

uranium turnings which National Lead Company had accumulated at LOOW from Bliss & 

Laughlin machining operations were delivered to Fernald by LOOW truck and personnel.” 

(Tonawanda, Nov1952) 

A review of an AEC Tonawanda Office progress report dated October 24, 1952, for the period 

October 20-24 (Tonawanda, Oct1952a) contains the following statement: “15 drums of turnings were 

picked up by LOOW truck at Bliss & Laughlin Co., Buffalo NY and returned to LOOW for storage 

under oil. This material was the result of a machining operation at Bliss on October 18. The rods 

produced were shipped directly to Fernald Area.” This is the only report where this machining date is 

mentioned. A review of the Fernald documents has no mention of this machining nor are there any 

monitoring data to support it. Furthermore, an NLO letter dated October 11, 1952 (Letter, 1952) 

states: “As far as I know, this was the last rod turning operation at Bliss & Laughlin.” Thus, it is 

unclear what the October 24 Tonawanda report is referring to. 

5.2 Radiological Exposure Sources from Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co. Operations 

The following subsections provide an overview of the internal and external exposure sources for the 

Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company class under evaluation. 

5.2.1 Internal Radiological Exposure Sources from Bliss & Laughlin Operations 

The Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company are known to have performed five uranium rod-turning 

campaigns for the AEC: one in April 1951 and four in September and October 1952. During 

September and October 1952, Bliss & Laughlin was under contract to National Lead of Ohio to 

machine and straighten uranium rods. The primary radiological constituent of concern is uranium and 

its radioactive decay products. 
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5.2.1.1 Uranium 

The principal source of internal radiation doses for members of the class under evaluation was 

inhalation and ingestion of uranium particles in the dust generated by the machining and direct 

handling of uranium metal. 

According to reports prepared by AEC's Tonawanda Area Office, on or about April 24th, 

1951, approximately two tons of uranium metal, comprised of at least twenty 1-5/8” diameter rods, 

were delivered to Bliss & Laughlin from the LOOW and machined to a slightly smaller diameter 

using an unventilated lathe that employed an aqueous coolant. After the turning operations were 

complete, the machined rods were returned to LOOW. In October 1951, arrangements were made for 

four drums of dry uranium oxide (presumably residual material from the April 1951 machining 

operations) to be shipped to Mallinckrodt Chemical Works. (FUSRAP, 1998a; Oxide, 1951; Stout, 

1990a) 

Available information shows that a considerably more substantial uranium rod-machining effort was 

conducted on at least four weekends in October and November, 1952. AEC reports indicate that the 

product rods resulting from these machinings were shipped directly from Bliss & Laughlin to the 

FMPC. Fifty-three drums of machine turnings were returned to LOOW to be repackaged under oil for 

safe transport back to the FMPC. (FUSRAP, 1998a) 

5.2.2 External Radiological Exposure Sources from Bliss & Laughlin Operations 

External radiological exposures from AEC operations at Bliss & Laughlin Steel resulted from uranium 

machining operations and drumming of uranium residues. 

5.2.2.1 Photon

The external photon radiation exposure source was the natural uranium metals that were handled 

during the 1951 and 1952 rod-turning operations and the residue handled as a result of these 

operations. Solid uranium objects provide considerable shielding of the lower-energy photons from 

uranium metals and harden the spectrum, causing the majority of photons emitted from a solid 

uranium object, such as a billet or rod, to have higher energies. While it is recognized that solid 

uranium sources will have a hardened photon spectrum, exposure to a thin layer of uranium on a 

surface will result in a larger fraction of exposure to lower-energy photons. 

5.2.2.2 Beta

The external beta radiation exposure source was from the uranium rod-turning operations in 1951 and 

1952. The dominant beta radiation source was from the surface of the uranium rods. In the U-238 

decay scheme, there is a short-lived isotope, protactinium-234m. This isotope decays by emitting an 

energetic 2.28 MeV beta particle. It is this beta particle that accounts for the shallow-dose hazard 

associated with handling the uranium metal. 
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5.2.2.3 Neutron

Neutron doses from exposure to natural uranium, including uranium metals, are considered negligible 

(Battelle-TBD-6000, Section 3.4). 

5.2.3 Residual Radioactivity Period at Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company Site 

The residual radioactivity period for the Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company site starts after operations 

were completed. The residual period ends with the 1998-99 FUSRAP remediation of the site 

(Buffalo, 2007). Remediation characterization radiological surveys were performed by Oak Ridge 

Associated Universities health physicists in March 1992. It was determined that fixed residual 

radiological contamination remaining in the former work areas nominally exceeded the U.S. 

Government’s guidelines for the release of contaminated property for unrestricted use. These 

guidelines are delineated in DOE Order 5400.5, Chapter IV. Accordingly, on September 25, 1992, the 

Bliss & Laughlin site was designated as a property eligible for environmental remediation under the 

U.S. Department of Energy’s Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) 

(Authorization, 1992). Note: Jurisdiction for the FUSRAP program was transferred from DOE to the 

U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1997. 

Residual uranium contamination was confined primarily to the floor space in the former Special 

Finishing Area and three overhead ceiling rafters, where static dust and residues contained U-238 at a 

concentration of approximately 30 pCi/g. Surface activity measurements in the Special Finishing 

Area revealed several locations with total beta levels ranging from 4,700 dpm/100cm2

 to 700,000 

dpm/100cm2. Removable alpha activity at these locations ranged from less than 12 dpm/100cm2 to 

426 dpm/100cm2; removable beta activity ranged from less than 15 dpm/100cm2 to 544 dpm/100cm2. 

Activity levels at other locations in the Special Finishing Area were less than detection limits (i.e., 880 

dpm/100cm2 total beta, 12 dpm/100cm2 removable alpha, and 15 dpm/100cm2 removable beta). 

Based on spot surveys of the remaining portions of the building, including locker rooms, other hightraffic areas, and adjacent outdoor areas, there did not appear to be any additional significant 

contamination of the plant facility or its surrounding environment. Soil samples taken at locations 

around the outside of the building showed no soil contamination. (Berger, 1992a; FUSRAP, 1998a; 

Berger, 1992c) 

Under the regulatory framework of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and 

Liability Act (CERCLA), a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) and Proposed Plan (PP) 

for remediation were released for public comment on September 28, 1998. A CERCLA Record of 

Decision (ROD) for remediation was signed on December 11, 1998. (FUSRAP, 1998c) 

Remediation of the Bliss & Laughlin site began in late 1998 and continued through March 1999. 

Ceiling trusses were remediated by scraping, wiping, and high-efficiency vacuum. Scabbling (a 

process that grinds and removes the surface of concrete) and jackhammers were used to remove 

surface contamination on the floor and from the concrete over a former utility trench west of the 

Special Finishing Area. Contaminated metal shavings and other debris were manually removed from 

a second trench and from a former pit area. The concrete pad previously poured to cover one of the 

two trenches in the Special Finishing Area was scabbled, jackhammered, and sand-blasted. 

Approximately 60 cubic yards of contaminated debris generated during the decontamination 

operations were shipped to a licensed commercial disposal facility in Clive, Utah. Residual 
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contamination levels were surveyed and certified as being below the applicable facility release criteria 

under 10 CFR 20, Subpart E. No post-remediation monitoring, maintenance, or site inspections were 

deemed necessary for this site (Buffalo, 2007). 

6.0 Summary of Available Monitoring Data for the Class Evaluated 

by NIOSH 

The following subsections provide an overview of the state of the available internal and external 

monitoring data for the Bliss & Laughlin class under evaluation. 

6.1 Available Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co. Internal Monitoring Data 

NIOSH reviewed AEC historical records and found no evidence of personnel internal bioassay 

monitoring at the Bliss & Laughlin site. Radiological air monitoring was conducted by NLO 

personnel during the uranium rod-machining performed on September 26, September 27, October 4, 

and October 11, 1952 (Data Sheets, 1952). With the largest equipment item running (a Medart 

rod-turning machine), total alpha air concentrations measured in the general work area were 

considerably above the worker exposure control level guideline in effect at that time. These 

measurements nominally ranged from about 60 dpm/m3

 to about 4,900 dpm/m3 above the guideline of 

70 dpm/m3. 

Air samples were taken in the immediate vicinity of the operating Medart machine in order to estimate 

the source term. The samples were designated as “P” (Process) on the air sample sheets. The P 

sample results were extremely high, approximately 57,000 dpm/m3 on average with a maximum 

reading of 216,000 dpm/m3. However, samples obtained in the general work area shortly after all of 

the equipment was turned off showed only slightly elevated levels of radioactivity (Fiore, 1992; Data 

Sheets, 1952). The method NIOSH employed to estimate a bounding internal dose based on these 

data is discussed in Section 7.2. 

6.2 Available Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co. External Monitoring Data 

To date, NIOSH has been unable to find any records regarding external monitoring data for Bliss & 

Laughlin Steel Company employees. Therefore, personnel external dose estimates will be based on 

available air monitoring and source term data. The method NIOSH employed to estimate a bounding 

external dose is discussed in Section 7.3. 
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7.0 Feasibility of Dose Reconstruction for the Class Evaluated by 

NIOSH 

The feasibility determination for the class of employees under evaluation in this report is governed by 

both EEOICPA and 42 C.F.R. § 83.13(c)(1). Under that Act and rule, NIOSH must establish whether 

or not it has access to sufficient information either to estimate the maximum radiation dose for every 

type of cancer for which radiation doses are reconstructed that could have been incurred under 

plausible circumstances by any member of the class, or to estimate the radiation doses to members of 

the class more precisely than a maximum dose estimate. If NIOSH has access to sufficient 

information for either case, NIOSH would then determine that it would be feasible to conduct dose 

reconstructions. 

In determining feasibility, NIOSH begins by evaluating whether current or completed NIOSH dose 

reconstructions demonstrate the feasibility of estimating with sufficient accuracy the potential 

radiation exposures of the class. If the conclusion is one of infeasibility, NIOSH systematically 

evaluates the sufficiency of different types of monitoring data, process and source or source term data, 

which together or individually might assure that NIOSH can estimate either the maximum doses that 

members of the class might have incurred, or more precise quantities that reflect the variability of 

exposures experienced by groups or individual members of the class as summarized in Section 7.5. 

This approach is discussed in OCAS’s SEC Petition Evaluation Internal Procedures which are 

available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ocas. The next four major subsections of this Evaluation 

Report examine: 

 The sufficiency and reliability of the available data. (Section 7.1) 

 The feasibility of reconstructing internal radiation doses. (Section 7.2) 

 The feasibility of reconstructing external radiation doses. (Section 7.3) 

 The bases for petition SEC-00131 as submitted by the petitioner. (Section 7.4) 

7.1 Pedigree of Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company Data 

This subsection answers questions that need to be asked before performing a feasibility evaluation. 

Data Pedigree addresses the background, history, and origin of the data. It requires looking at site 

methodologies that may have changed over time; primary versus secondary data sources and whether 

they match; and whether data are internally consistent. All these issues form the bedrock of the 

researcher’s confidence and later conclusions about the data’s quality, credibility, reliability, 

representativeness, and sufficiency for determining the feasibility of dose reconstruction. The 

feasibility evaluation presupposes that data pedigree issues have been settled. 
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7.1.1 Internal Monitoring Data Pedigree Review 

Although there is information related to the operational and radiological air monitoring performed at 

Bliss & Laughlin (associated with the NLO monitoring progam), NIOSH has been unable to find any 

bioassay data or any indication that any additional bioassay monitoring was performed during the 

Bliss & Laughlin operations. Based on NIOSH’s review of similar sites, the selection of the 

monitoring types and monitoring approaches were consistently applied across the programs that NLO 

evaluated during that era (NLO, 1952). The monitoring data that are available are air sample data. 

The Bliss & Laughlin uranium metal-working operations were conducted over weekend shifts to 

avoid disruption of normal plant operations. As an investigative activity, monitoring was performed 

to assess the conditions surrounding the operations. “Air dust” monitoring was performed and 

NIOSH has copies of primary source results from this air monitoring for four different test operations: 

September 26, September 27, October 4, and October 11, 1952. (Data Sheets, 1952). These results 

included General Area samples, Process samples (used to determine sources of air contamination or 

the relative contribution of two or more sources) and Breathing Zone samples. While process samples 

are not necessarily representative of an employee’s routine exposure, they are useful in supporting the 

quantification of an upper bound of potential airborne contamination exposure because they do 

represent an absolute worst-case exposure scenario during the site’s uranium-machining operations 

(Air Sampling, 1973). 

The air sample data for the Bliss & Laughlin operations have been compared to the Battelle-TBD6000 internal dose evaluation methods. These methods include air sampling data collected from other 

AWE facilities that machined uranium and are considered representative measurements for most of 

the processes that took place at metal-working AWE sites. The air sample data are categorized in 

Battelle-TBD-6000 based on common uranium metal-working processes. The evaluation of that 

comparison is contained in the sections that follow. 

Air monitoring and surface contamination monitoring data from the residual period are available. 

NIOSH reviewed these data and determined that they meet NIOSH’s standards for performing 

individual dose reconstruction during the residual period, and that they are sufficient for determining 

an upper-bound estimate of residual contamination levels. The residual period FUSRAP radiological 

surveys are documented in primary documents, including the FUSRAP Radiological Sample Log 

Book (FUSRAP, 1995), direct surface contamination survey reports, a 1992 independent radiological 

survey (Berger, 1992b), and a 1995 radiological assessment (Vitkus, 1995). 

7.1.2 External Monitoring Data Pedigree Review 

NIOSH reviewed the data available for the Bliss & Laughlin site and determined that no external 

dosimetry data are available for the AWE operations conducted in 1951 and 1952; therefore, no data 

pedigree review was possible. External dose rates from uranium metal-working operations at other 

AWE sites have been studied and documented (Battelle-TBD-6000, p. 39) and, when coupled with 

conservative estimates of how much material may have been on site, provide a means of estimating 

external dose from direct contact with uranium metal. 
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As discussed in Section 7.1.1, surface contamination monitoring data from the residual period are 

available. Soil sample data are also available as a result of characterization efforts at the site. The 

contamination and soil sample data are sufficient for determining an upper-bound estimate of residual 

contamination levels. The residual period FUSRAP radiological surveys are documented in primary 

documents, including the FUSRAP Radiological Sample Log Book (FUSRAP, 1995), direct surface 

contamination survey reports, the 1992 independent radiological survey (Berger, 1992b) and a 1995 

radiological assessment (Vitkus, 1995). External dose is further described in Section 7.3. 

7.2 Evaluation of Bounding Internal Radiation Doses at Bliss & Laughlin 

The principal source of internal radiation doses for members of the class under evaluation was from 

the inhalation and ingestion of uranium particles in the dust generated by the machining and handling 

of uranium metal. The following subsections address the ability to bound internal doses, methods for 

bounding doses, and the feasibility of internal dose reconstruction. 

7.2.1 Evaluation of Bounding Process-Related Internal Doses 

The following subsections summarize the extent and limitations of information available for 

reconstructing the process-related internal doses of members of the class under evaluation. 

NIOSH reviewed historical records and found no evidence of personnel internal monitoring at the 

Bliss & Laughlin site. Therefore, personnel internal dose estimates will be based on air monitoring 

and source term data. Battelle-TBD-6000 will be used as the basis for reasonably bounding internal 

exposures the class under evaluation. An assessment of this methodology is included in Section 7.2.3 

of this report. 

7.2.1.1 Airborne Levels

Air sample data are available for four of the five uranium rod-machining operations performed at 

Bliss & Laughlin. NIOSH has been unable to find any monitoring data for the first rod-machining 

that took place around April 24, 1951 (FUSRAP, 1998a; Tonawanda, Apr1951). The data for the first 

three rod-turnings in 1952 can be used to bound the exposure for this turning because there was no 

change in the operational method between 1951 and 1952 and the amount of uranium machined was 

significantly greater based on the resulting drums of residue (only four drums were generated in 1951; 

the remainder of the 53 total drums of residue were generated in 1952) (FUSRAP, 1998a; Oxide, 

1951; Tonawanda, Oct1952b; Tonawanda, Nov1952). The air sample data from the last rod-turning 

operation (October 11) are being excluded because the use of fans potentially changed the exposure 

conditions (Letter, 1952); therefore, the data are not supportive of a bounding internal exposure 

assessment for the class under evaluation. 

The air samples collected include general area samples (GA), breathing zone samples (BZ) and air 

samples associated with various processes (P) (Data Sheets, 1952). This information is corroborated 

in NLO weekly reports dated September 26, October 3, October 9, October 16, October 17, and 

October 21, 1952 (Weekly Report, 1952a; Weekly Reports, 1952-54; Weekly Report, 1952b; Monthly 

Reports, 1952). 
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As previously discussed at the end of Section 5.1, the Tonawanda Weekly Progress Report dated 

October 24 (for the week of October 20-24) mentions picking up 15 drums of turnings for operations 

conducted October 18, 1952 (Tonawanda, Oct1952a); this operation is not supported by any other 

documentation. If any additional uranium rod-machining took place on October 18, the air sample 

data collected during the first three machinings on September 26, September 27, and October 4, 1952, 

can be used to bound the intake resulting from the October 18 machining. 

7.2.1.2 Alternative Data Sources for Bounding Internal Dose

The current method available for internal dose reconstruction is in Battelle-TBD-6000. The 

representative air sample data from uranium metal-working facilities provided in Battelle-TBD-6000 

are based on work done by Harris & Kingsley (Harris, 1959; HASL-39). Based on NIOSH’s review 

and comparisons, the air sample data from Battelle-TBD-6000 used to evaluate the internal dose 

bounds the potential Bliss & Laughlin personnel dose when compared to the evaluation using actual 

air sample data collected during Bliss & Laughlin Steel machining operations (Spreadsheet, 2009). 

7.2.2 Evaluation of Bounding Residual Period Internal Doses 

Internal dose from the residual period is the result of residual contamination remaining from the 

uranium-machining operations. Residual period internal exposure would result from the 

re-suspension of surface contamination. Dose estimates from inhalation and ingestion or 

re-suspended contamination were calculated using a re-suspension model described in Battelle-TBD6000 (Sections 7.1.5 and 7.1.6) and ORAUT-OTIB-0070. 

7.2.3 Methods for Bounding Internal Dose at Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

7.2.3.1 Methods for Bounding Operational Period Internal Dose

Using the available Bliss & Laughlin data, NIOSH evaluated the actual air sample data and compared 

the results with the values in the analysis contained in Battelle-TBD-6000. The airborne 

concentration estimates from Battelle-TBD-6000, Table 7.5, for machining uranium (assuming worstcase conditions associated with the centerless grinder) yield a maximum airborne concentration of 

6000 dpm/m3

, with a geometric mean of 5480 dpm/m3 and a geometric standard deviation (GSD) of 5. 

The 1952 Bliss & Laughlin breathing zone and general area air sample data yields a maximum 

airborne concentration of 9131 dpm/m3

, with a geometric mean of 2603 dpm/m3 and a GSD of 2.06 

(Spreadsheet, 2009). The plot of the calculated data is shown in Figure 7-1. 
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Figure 7-1: Comparison of Estimated Internal Dose (Battelle-TBD-6000 vs. B&L Air Data) 

1

10

100

1000

10000

100000

‐2.5 ‐2 ‐1.5 ‐1 ‐0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5

AirborneU Concentration (dpm/m3)

StandardNormal Deviate, z

Sorted Data

ln(Data) Pred. GM= 2602 GSD= 2.05

TBD‐6000 Daily Average

The intake values for the class under evaluation can be calculated from the air sample data through the 

application of a standard breathing rate, activity conversion factor, and exposure period(s). The 

methods outlined in Battelle-TBD-6000 provide techniques to evaluate internal dose associated with 

uranium-machining operations as a result of internal exposures to uranium and its daughter products. 

The techniques include air sample data that are typically obtained when workers are exposed during 

uranium-machining operations. As discussed above, the methods and values provided in BattelleTBD-6000, in light of the evaluation and comparison with the available air sample data for site 

operations, support NIOSH’s ability to bound internal dose for the class under evaluation during the 

site’s operational period. 
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7.2.3.2 Methods for Bounding Residual Period Internal Dose

Internal dose estimates for the residual period (January 1, 1953 to December 31, 1998) were based on 

inhalation and ingestion resulting from re-suspension of residual contamination resulting from 

uranium machining operations. This would include re-suspension from incidental removal of residual 

contamination (e.g., via housekeeping and personnel and equipment movement). Intakes from the 

residual period can be bounded using Battelle-TBD-6000 and ORAUT-OTIB-0070. Based on 

Battelle-TBD-6000, the assumptions for estimating intakes during the residual period are that there 

was no decontamination, and the operational airborne activity concentration was 100 MAC or 7000 

dpm/m3. In order to determine a surface contamination level, an indoor settling velocity of 7.5 E-4 

m/s is applied over a one year operating period. The result is an estimated surface contamination of 

3.44 E7 pCi/m2

 (7.64E5 dpm/100 cm2). This surface contamination value is considered bounding 

based on the available information from the radiological surveys obtained during the residual period 

(Berger, 1992a; Berger 1992b; Berger 1992c; FUSRAP, 1995; FUSRAP, 1998a; FUSRAP, 1998b; 

FUSRAP, 1998c). A re-suspension factor of 1 E-6/m may be applied to the surface contamination 

level to obtain an estimated airborne concentration of 34.4 pCi/m3

. The daily intake is based on 

source term data from large-scale operations and is likely to be significantly higher than intakes at 

Bliss & Laughlin at the start of the residual period. In order to account for the continued depletion of 

the operational source term during the residual period, a source term depletion factor of 1% of the 

surface activity per day is applied after the first and subsequent year. Afterwards, the source term is 

assumed to remain constant. The ingestion during the residual period can also be estimated based on 

airborne concentration. Exposure will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for individual claims, but 

the available data and methods described here supports NIOSH’s ability to bound internal dose for the 

evaluated class during the site’s residual period. 

Table 7-1 shows the adjustment factors used to account for the depletion of the source term during the 

residual period. 

Table 7-1: Adjustment Factors for Depletion of Source Term During the Residual Period 

Year Factor Intake (pCi/d) 

1953 1 413 

1954 0.03 12.4 

1955 0.0007 0.3 

1956 – 1998 0.0007 0.3 

7.2.4 Internal Dose Reconstruction Feasibility Conclusion 

This evaluation concludes that internal dose for both the operational and residual period at Bliss & 

Laughlin Steel can be bounded using the air sample data in Battelle-TBD-6000, which are derived 

from the Harris and Kingsley publications (HASL-39; Harris, 1959) and methodologies discussed in 

ORAUT-OTIB-0070. 
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NIOSH has shown that the actual air sample data for the operational period, which include breathing 

zone and general area air sample data collected during the Bliss & Laughlin uranium machining, are 

bounded by the methods and values for uranium machining contained in Battelle-TBD-6000. Based 

on the assessment provided in this section, NIOSH’s conclusion is that Battelle-TBD-6000 provides a 

reasonable approach to bound internal dose for the operational period for all members of the class 

under evaluation. NIOSH may choose to employ a more refined approach when reconstructing 

individual doses based on information obtained during the Bliss & Laughlin petition evaluation. The 

specific exposure period will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for individual claims. NIOSH will 

use appropriate dose reconstruction methods, including best-estimate approaches that employ the 

details of the site operations, to complete individual dose reconstructions. 

Based on the assessment of these data and methodologies, NIOSH concludes that the methods 

described in Battelle-TBD-6000 and ORAUT-OTIB-0070 also provide reasonable approaches to 

bound residual period internal dose for all members of the class under evaluation. 

7.3 Evaluation of Bounding External Radiation Doses at Bliss & Laughlin 

The principal sources of external radiation doses for members of the proposed class were deposition 

of uranium particles in the dust from the machining of uranium rods and the direct handling of 

uranium (Battelle-TBD-6000, Section 6.0). The following subsections address the ability to bound 

external doses, methods for bounding doses, and the feasibility of external dose reconstruction. 

7.3.1 Evaluation of Bounding Process-Related External Doses 

Section 6.0 of Battelle-TBD-6000, and Section 7.0 of Battelle-TBD-6001, provide bounding 

occupational external dose estimates for various refining and metal operations for various job titles, 

including rod-machining and drumming operations. Listed job titles include operators, general labor, 

supervisors, and clerical. Battelle-TBD-6000 addresses the following modes of external exposure: 

submersion in a contaminated dust cloud, exposure to contaminated surfaces, and whole body 

exposure from photon and beta radiation emitted from uranium metal. Battelle-TBD-6001 addresses 

external exposures resulting from uranium-drumming operations. The TBD assumes typical 

conditions for the type of workplace addressed, but uses worst-case exposure conditions. As 

previously discussed, NIOSH’s comparison of the calculated internal dose using the available Bliss air 

monitoring data with the values in the analysis contained in Battelle-TBD-6000 supports a bounding 

internal dose estimation approach (Data Sheets, 1952; Spreadsheet, 2009). Considering this 

information and the operations performed at Bliss & Laughlin, NIOSH has applied the external dose 

Battelle-TBD-6000 and Battelle-TBD-6001 methods for the bounding external dose for the Bliss & 

Laughlin operational period. 

7.3.2 Evaluation of Bounding Residual Period External Doses 

Based on the available FUSRAP survey information, the available operational information, and the 

information in Section 5.1.2 of Battelle-TBD-6000, annual external doses from residual contamination 

could be assigned and bounded from 1953 until 1998 when the Bliss & Laughlin Steel site was 

decontaminated and released under the FUSRAP program (Berger, 1992b). 
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7.3.3 Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company Occupational X-Ray Examinations 

In addition to the estimated dose received from uranium-machining operations, the dose received from 

diagnostic X-ray procedures could also be included in the overall external dose. It is not known if 

Bliss & Laughlin required chest X-rays for workers. Although no records have been identified that 

indicate that occupational medical X-rays were required, the dose associated with X-ray exams can be 

assessed using the methodology defined in ORAUT-OTIB-0006, Dose Reconstruction from 

Occupationally Related Diagnostic X-Ray Procedures. NIOSH believes that this methodology 

supports it ability to bound the occupational medical X-ray doses for the evaluated class. 

7.3.4 Methods for Bounding External Dose at Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

There is an established protocol for assessing external exposure when performing dose reconstructions 

(these protocol steps are discussed in the following subsections): 

 Photon Dose 

 Beta Dose 

 Medical X-ray Dose 

7.3.4.1 Methods for Bounding Operational Period External Dose

Photon Dose

Although no external monitoring data are available for the Bliss & Laughlin site, Section 6.0 of 

Battelle-TBD-6000 can be used to bound the operational period photon dose, as discussed in Section 

7.3.1. The data in Table 6.4 in Battelle-TBD-6000 applicable to rod-machining operations at metalworking sites corresponding to the Bliss operational period are presented in Table 7-2. Data in this 

table are chosen for worst-case exposures. The data assume that the facility operates full-time over 

the course of a year (2000 hrs/yr). For individual worker exposure assessment, these values could be 

scaled for the fraction of the year actually worked. 

Table 7-2: Estimated Daily Doses and External Exposure Pathways for Uranium Machining 

Job Title Years 

Air 

Submersion 

(mR) 

Contaminated 

Floor Exposure 

(mR) 

Metal WholeBody Dose 

(mrem) 

Hands & 

Forearms NonPenetrating Dose 

(mrem) 

Other Skin 

NonPenetrating 

Dose (mrem) 

Operator 1951-52 8.131E-05 8.412E-03 6.27 693 63 

General Labor 1951-52 4.066E-05 4.206E-03 1.12 347 31 

Supervisor 1951-52 2.033E-05 2.103E-03 0.562 35 3 

Clerical 1951-52 2.033E-06 2.103E-04 0.056 0 0 

Source: Battelle-TBD-6000 

Note: Values represent the geometric mean of a lognormal distribution with geometric standard deviation equal to 5.0. 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co.

27 of 53 

Section 7.0 of Battelle-TBD-6001 can be used to estimate the dose received from drumming 

operations during the Bliss & Laughlin operational period. Section 7.3, Drum Doses, can be used to 

estimate the dose rate from drums containing uranium compounds (see Table 7-3). The drum doses 

were modeled using a 100-day decay time, which allows the ingrowth of uranium progeny and a 

content density of 1.6. This combination of density and isotopic composition will result in higherthan-normal dose rates. In order to account for Bremsstrahlung, the doses seen in the table were 

doubled, as the Bremsstrahlung dose is typically the same as the photon dose (Battelle TBD-6001). 

Table 7-3: Dose Rates from Drums of Uranium Compounds 

Dose Rate (mr/h) Drum Size (gallon) 1 cm 10 cm 30 cm 100cm 

5 3.7 1.4 0.4 0.1 

30 4.4 2.5 1.1 0.2 

55 4.5 2.8 1.3 0.3 

Source: Battelle-TBD-6001 

Based on information obtained about the Medart Bar Turner, the chips from the turning operation 

were collected in a chip collector bucket or pit, thereby containing them (Medart, 1992). This process 

would result in limited handling of residue from the machining operation and minimal dose from 

drum-handling. 

Beta Dose

As previously discussed, although no external monitoring data are available for the Bliss & Laughlin 

site, Section 6.0 of Battelle-TBD-6000 can be used to reconstruct the beta dose. The section of Table 

6.4 in Battelle-TBD-6000 applicable to rod-machining operations at metal-working sites 

corresponding to the Bliss operational period is reproduced in Table 7-2. 

7.3.4.2 Methods for Bounding Residual Period External Doses

The external exposure sources for the residual period included exposure from contaminated surfaces 

and submersion in re-suspended surface contamination. The methodology used to estimate external 

doses is based on operational data in Section 5.1.2 of Battelle-TBD-6000. This methodology 

estimates radiological conditions immediately following operations and does not take into account any 

reduction of contamination levels due to decontamination and/or depletion. 

An optional method for evaluating external dose during the residual radioactivity period is to use the 

actual airborne levels during operations to establish surface contamination levels at the start of the 

residual radioactivity period, and then deplete the values over time. This information, coupled with 

the radiological survey data presented in the FUSRAP surveys, can be used to establish factors for 

evaluating external dose over the residual radioactivity period. 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co.

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7.3.5 External Dose Reconstruction Feasibility Conclusion 

This evaluation concludes that external dose reconstruction for personnel working during the 

operations period at the Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company site is feasible. By modeling external dose 

from Battelle-TBD-6000, Battelle-TBD-6001, and ORAUT-OTIB-0006, dose estimates are plausible 

and bounding for the operational period at the site. In addition, this evaluation supports the ability to 

bound residual period doses based on Battelle-TBD-6000. Based on its assessment of these doses, 

NIOSH concludes that the methods described in Battelle-TBD-6000 provide reasonable approaches to 

conservatively bound external doses for all members of the class under evaluation. NIOSH may 

choose to employ a more refined approach when reconstructing individual doses based on information 

obtained during the evaluation of the Bliss & Laughlin SEC petition. The specific exposure period 

will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for individual claims. 

7.4 Evaluation of Petition Basis for SEC-00131 

The following subsections evaluate the assertions made on behalf of petition SEC-00131 for the Bliss 

& Laughlin site. 

7.4.1 Uranium Rolling and Lack of Monitoring 

SEC-00131: The basis for the petition is that the entire facility was used to roll uranium bars. There 

is a lack of or no monitoring records to the best of their knowledge, and that radiation exposures were 

incurred, but were not monitored. 

The uranium was not rolled; it was machined on a Medart Bar Turner within the Bliss & Laughlin 

facility in a location called the Special Finishing Area. That area is comprised of approximately 3,230 

square feet of floor space. There were a total of five rod-machining campaigns performed in April 

1951 and September and October of 1952. While it is true that there are no internal or external 

monitoring data, there are air sample data collected during the 1952 campaigns. Based on the quantity 

machined in 1952 versus 1951, the air sample data from 1952 can be used to bound the exposure 

during the 1951 campaign. Using the methodologies and typical air sample data provided for uranium 

machining in Battelle-TBD-6000 and/or the actual air sample data collected during the uranium 

machining at Bliss & Laughlin, the external and internal dose can be estimated and/or bounded. 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co.

29 of 53 

7.5 Summary of Feasibility Findings for Petition SEC-00131 

This report evaluates the feasibility for completing dose reconstructions for employees at the Bliss & 

Laughlin Steel Company facility during the applicable covered period. NIOSH found that the 

available monitoring records, process descriptions, source term data, and alternative data sources are 

sufficient to complete dose reconstructions for the evaluated class of employees. 

Table 7-4 summarizes the results of the feasibility findings at Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company for 

each exposure source during the time period January 1, 1951 through December 31, 1952 and/or 

during the residual period from January 1, 1953 through December 31, 1998. 

Table 7-4: Summary of Feasibility Findings for SEC-00131 

January 1, 1951 through December 31, 1952 and/or January 1, 1953 through December 31, 1998 (residual period) 

Source of Exposure Reconstruction Feasible1 Reconstruction Not Feasible 

Internal X 

 - U X 

External X 

 - Gamma X 

 - Beta X 

 - Neutron N/A 

 - Occupational Medical X-ray X 

1

 As discussed, only applicable to the period when radioactive materials were on site (i.e., starting in April 1951 through 

the end of the residual radioactivity period in 1998).

As of June 23, 2009, a total of 21 claims have been submitted to NIOSH for individuals who worked 

at Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company and who are covered by the class definition under evaluation. 

Dose reconstructions have been completed for 21 individuals (100%). 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co.

30 of 53 

8.0 Evaluation of Health Endangerment for Petition SEC-00131 

The health endangerment determination for the class of employees covered by this evaluation report is 

governed by both EEOICPA and 42 C.F.R. § 83.13(c)(3). Under these requirements, if it is not 

feasible to estimate with sufficient accuracy radiation doses for members of the class, NIOSH must 

also determine that there is a reasonable likelihood that such radiation doses may have endangered the 

health of members of the class. Section 83.13 requires NIOSH to assume that any duration of 

unprotected exposure may have endangered the health of members of a class when it has been 

established that the class may have been exposed to radiation during a discrete incident likely to have 

involved levels of exposure similarly high to those occurring during nuclear criticality incidents. If 

the occurrence of such an exceptionally high-level exposure has not been established, then NIOSH is 

required to specify that health was endangered for those workers who were employed for a number of 

work days aggregating at least 250 work days within the parameters established for the class or in 

combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of 

employees in the SEC. 

Based on Bliss & Laughlin process information and air monitoring data, the information in BattelleTBD-6000, Battelle-TBD-6001, and ORAUT-OTIB-0070, and monitoring data bounding similar 

operations at other sites, NIOSH’s evaluation determined that it is feasible to estimate radiation dose 

for members of the NIOSH-evaluated class with sufficient accuracy based on the sum of information 

available from available resources. Modification of the class definition regarding health 

endangerment and minimum required employment periods, therefore, is not required. 

9.0 Class Conclusion for Petition SEC-00131 

Based on its full research of the class under evaluation, NIOSH found no part of said class for which it 

cannot estimate radiation doses with sufficient accuracy. This class includes all employees of Bliss & 

Laughlin Steel Company located at 110 Hopkins Street, Buffalo, New York, for the period from 

January 1, 1951 through December 31, 1952 and/or during the residual period from January 1, 1953 

through December 31, 1998. 

NIOSH has carefully reviewed all material sent in by the petitioner, including the specific assertions 

stated in the petition, and has responded herein (see Section 7.4). NIOSH has also reviewed available 

technical resources and many other references, including the Site Research Database (SRDB), for 

information relevant to SEC-00131. In addition, NIOSH reviewed its NOCTS dose reconstruction 

database to identify EEOICPA-related dose reconstructions that might provide information relevant to 

the petition evaluation. 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co.

31 of 53 

These actions are based on existing, approved NIOSH processes used in dose reconstruction for 

claims under EEOICPA. NIOSH’s guiding principle in conducting these dose reconstructions is to 

ensure that the assumptions used are fair, consistent, and well-grounded in the best available science. 

Simultaneously, uncertainties in the science and data must be handled to the advantage, rather than to 

the detriment, of the petitioners. When adequate personal dose monitoring information is not 

available, or is very limited, NIOSH may use the highest reasonably possible radiation dose, based on 

reliable science, documented experience, and relevant data to determine the feasibility of 

reconstructing the dose of an SEC petition class. NIOSH contends that it has complied with these 

standards of performance in determining the feasibility or infeasibility of reconstructing dose for the 

class under evaluation. 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co.

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SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co.

33 of 53 

10.0 References 

10 C.F.R. 20, Subpart E, Radiological Criteria for License Termination, United States Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission; July 21, 1987; http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/cfr/part020/part020-1401.html 

42 C.F.R. pt. 81, Guidelines for Determining the Probability of Causation Under the Energy 

Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000; Final Rule, Federal 

Register/Vol. 67, No. 85/Thursday, p 22,296; May 2, 2002; SRDB Ref ID: 19391 

42 C.F.R. pt. 82, Methods for Radiation Dose Reconstruction Under the Energy Employees 

Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000; Final Rule; May 2, 2002; SRDB Ref ID: 

19392 

42 C.F.R. pt. 83, Procedures for Designating Classes of Employees as Members of the Special 

Exposure Cohort Under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 

2000; Final Rule; May 28, 2004; SRDB Ref ID: 22001 

42 U.S.C. §§ 7384-7385 [EEOICPA], Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation 

Program Act of 2000, as amended 

Battelle-TBD-6000, Site Profiles for Atomic Weapons Employers that Worked Uranium and Thorium 

Metals, PNWD-3738 Rev 0, Rev. F0; Battelle; December 13, 2006; SRDB Ref ID: 30671 

Site Profiles for Atomic Weapons Employers that Refined Uranium and Thorium, Battelle-TBD-6001, 

Rev F0: December 13, 2006; SRDB Ref ID: 30673 

DOE 5400.5, Ch. IV, Residual Radioactive Material, U.S. Department of Energy; SRDB Ref ID: 

40815 

HASL-39, The Industrial Hygiene of Uranium Fabrication, W. B. Harris (AEC Health and Safety 

Laboratory) and I. Kingsley (New York State Department of Labor); U.S. Atomic Energy 

Commission, New York Operations Office; HASL-39; June 6, 1958; SRDB Ref ID: 15785 

OCAS-PR-004, Internal Procedures for the Evaluation of Special Exposure Cohort Petitions, Rev. 0, 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); Cincinnati, Ohio; September 23, 

2004; SRDB Ref ID: 32022 

ORAUT-OTIB-0006, Dose Reconstruction from Occupationally Related Diagnostic X-ray 

Procedures, Rev 03 PC-1; Oak Ridge Associated Universities; December 21, 2005; SRDB Ref ID: 

20220 

ORAUT-OTIB-0070, Dose Reconstruction During Residual Radioactivity Periods at Atomic 

Weapons Employer Facilities, Rev 00; Oak Ridge Associated Universities; March 10, 2008; SRDB 

Ref ID: 41603 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co.

34 of 53 

Air Sampling, 1973, The Application of Air Sampling in the Evaluation and Control of the 

Occupational Environment, A. J. Breslin, Director, Health Protection Engineering Division, Health 

and Safety Laboratory (HASL); August 1973; SRDB Ref ID: 28022, pdf pp. 85-86 

Authorization, 1992, Authorization for Remedial Action at Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company Site in 

Buffalo, New York, J. W. Wagoner II (DOE Office of Environmental Restoration) to L. Price; U. S. 

Department of Energy; September 25, 1992; SRDB Ref ID: 6998 

Berger, 1992a, Radiological Survey of the Former Bliss and Laughlin Steel Company Facility, 110 

Hopkins Street, Buffalo, New York, J. D. Berger; Oak Ridge Associated Universities/Oak Ridge 

Institute for Science and Education; April 1992; SRDB Ref ID: 6992 

Berger, 1992b, Radiological Survey of the Former Bliss and Laughlin Steel Company Facility, 

Buffalo, New York, J. D. Berger; Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education; June 1992; SRDB 

Ref ID: 6980 

Berger, 1992c, Survey of Former Bliss-Laughlin Facility, James D. Berger, Oak Ridge Associated 

Universities, March 20, 1992; SRDB Ref ID: 59187 

Bliss, 2001, Bliss & Laughlin Facility List Information; June 11, 2001; SRDB Ref ID: 7016, pdf pp. 

52-54 

Buffalo, 2001, Component Fabrication at South Valley, Linking Legacies, U.S. Department of 

Energy; http://www2.em.doe.gov/legacy3.1/site/nm/svpastr.htm; accessed February 1, 2001; SRDB 

Ref ID: 9203, pdf p. 13 

Buffalo, 2007, Buffalo, New York Site: Fact Sheet, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy 

Management; June, 2007; SRDB Ref ID: 37594 

Data Sheets, 1952, S2 Sample Data Sheets 1952: Bliss & Laughlin Co., National Lead Company of 

Ohio; various dates in September and October 1952; SRDB Ref ID: 3794 

Fiore, 1992, Designation Package for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company Site in Buffalo, New York, J. J. 

Fiore (U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Restoration); August 4, 1992; SRDB Ref 

ID: 59191 

FUSRAP, 1995, FUSRAP Radiological Sample Logbook, Bliss & Laughlin, 2/25/95 – 3/5/95, 

Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program; various dates in 1995; SRDB Ref ID: 61794 

FUSRAP, 1998a, FUSRAP Fact Sheet: Former Bliss & Laughlin Site Proposed Plan Summary, U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District; September 1998; SRDB Ref ID: 7016 

FUSRAP, 1998b, FUSRAP Fact Sheet: Former Bliss & Laughlin Steel, Buffalo, New York, U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District; December 1998; SRDB Ref ID: 37592 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co.

35 of 53 

FUSRAP, 1998c, Bliss & Laughlin Steel Site Status, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Formerly 

Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, http://lrb.usace.army.mil/fusrap/bliss/blissstat.htm; accessed 

01-30-09; SRDB Ref ID: 59198 

Harris, 1959, The Industrial Hygiene of Uranium Fabrication, W. B. Harris and I. Kingsley; 

American Medical Association Archives of Industrial Health, May 1959, Vol. 19, pp. 540-565; SRDB 

Ref ID: 15779 

Letter, 1952, Internal letter concerning safety precautions taken at Bliss & Laughlin, from “Charlie” to 

“Dick,” National Lead Company of Ohio; October 11, 1952; SRDB Ref ID: 60988 

Medart, 1992, Medart Company, Site Function and Description, Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial 

Action Program; February 1992; SRDB Ref ID: 9972, pdf pp. 7-9 

Monthly Reports, 1952, Various Monthly Health and Safety Reports for 1952, National Lead 

Company of Ohio; various dates in 1952; SRDB Ref ID: 3237 

NLO, 1952, Production Report on the Rolling of Uranium Billets at Bethlehem Steel Corporation’s 

Lackawanna Plant on February 16, 1952, R.S. Stewart, National Lead Company of Ohio Contract 

No. AT (30-1) – 1156; February 16, 1952; SRDB Ref ID: 44231 

NYOO, 1951, Memo: Uranium Fabrication Test, from AEC New York Operations Office (NYOO) to 

R. W. Kirkman (Director, Security Division); April 24, 1951; SRDB Ref ID: 7016, pdf p. 55 

Oxide, 1951, Shipment of Uranium Oxide, memo from Lake Ontario Storage Area to J. Koenig (AEC 

St. Louis Office) and F. W. Malone (AEC Tonawanda Office); October 1, 1951; SRDB Ref ID: 59173 

Personal Communication, 2009a, Personal Communication with Former Bliss & Laughlin Chemist; 

Telephone Interview by ORAU Team; March 5, 2009; SRDB Ref ID: 63717

Personal Communication, 2009b, Personal Communication with Former Bliss-Laughlin Employee; 

Telephone Interview by ORAU Team; March 6, 2009; SRDB Ref ID: 63719

Personal Communication, 2009c, Personal Communication with Niagara LaSalle Steel Co. Employee; 

Telephone Interview by ORAU Team; March 9, 2009; SRDB Ref ID: 63718

Personal Communication, 2009d, Personal Communication with Former Bliss & Laughlin Clerk; 

Telephone Interview by ORAU Team; March 24, 2009; SRDB Ref ID: 63712

Personal Communication, 2009e, Personal Communication with Former Bliss & Laughlin Janitor; 

Telephone Interview by ORAU Team; March 25, 2009; SRDB Ref ID: 63713

Spreadsheet, 2009, Analysis of Bliss Laughlin Air Data; Joe Guido, Oak Ridge Associated 

Universities; March 4, 2009; SRDB Ref ID: 61934 

Stout, 1990a, Initial Bliss & Laughlin Site Investigation, D. Stout, November 9, 1990; SRDB Ref ID: 

59178 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL Bliss & Laughlin Steel Co.

36 of 53 

Stout, 1990b, Draft Site Summary for Bliss & Laughlin, D. Stout, November 30, 1990; SRDB Ref ID: 

59181 

Tonawanda, Apr1951, AEC Tonawanda Area Progress Report, April 1951, U.S. Atomic Energy 

Commission; April 24, 1951; SRDB Ref ID: 37535 

Tonawanda, Aug1952, AEC Tonawanda Area Progress Report, August 1952, U.S. Atomic Energy 

Commission; August 20 to September 20, 1952; SRDB Ref ID: 59174 

Tonawanda, Oct1952a, AEC Tonawanda Area Progress Report, October 20-24, U.S. Atomic Energy 

Commission; October 20-24, 1952; SRDB Ref ID: 59175 

Tonawanda, Oct1952b, AEC Tonawanda Area Progress Report, November 1952, U.S. Atomic Energy 

Commission; October 1952; SRDB Ref ID: 10751 

Tonawanda, Nov1952, AEC Tonawanda Area Progress Report, November 1952, U.S. Atomic Energy 

Commission; November 1952; SRDB Ref ID: 59176 

Vitkus, 1995, Radiological Survey of the Exterior Portions of the Former Bliss and Laughlin Steel 

Company Facility, Buffalo, New York, T. J. Vitkus; Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education; 

January 1995; SRDB Ref ID: 6990 

Weekly Report, 1952a, Weekly Report for Week of Sept. 26 to Oct. 2 Incl. – Industrial Hygiene and 

Radiation, National Lead Company of Ohio; October 3, 1952; SRDB Ref ID: 60983 

Weekly Report, 1952b, Weekly Report for Week of Sept. 19 to Sept. 25 Incl. – Industrial Hygiene and 

Radiation, National Lead Company of Ohio; October 3, 1952; SRDB Ref ID: 60986 

Weekly Reports, 1952-54, Weekly Reports for Various Weeks in 1952-1954, National Lead Company 

of Ohio; various dates in 1952-54; SRDB Ref ID: 3022 

Williams, 1992, Memorandum: Authority Determination – Former Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Site, Buffalo, New York, W. A. Williams (U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental 

Restoration); July 27, 1992; SRDB Ref ID: 7002 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL 

Attachment 1: Data Capture Synopsis 

Table A1-1: Data Capture Synopsis for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Data Capture Information Data Captured Description Dat

Primary Site/Company Name: Bliss & Laughlin Steel; AWE 1951-1952; Residual Radiation 1953-1998 Other company names:

B & L Steel 1952-1971 Ramco-Fitzsimmons 1972-1985

Niagara Cold Drawn 1986-1992 Niagara LaSalle 1992 -present 

Mike Hood of Niagara LaSalle confirmed that no Bliss & Laughlin records from the NLO uranium machining experiment are held at either the Buffalo site or the New York corporate offices of Niagara Corporation. 

03/0

State Contacted: John Mitchell, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) 

NYSDEC records and New York State Archives were searched, no relevant documents were found. 

03/

Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource (CEDR) No relevant documents identified. 03/2Department of Labor/Paragon CD Memo requesting authorization to ship drums of dry uranium 

oxide from Bliss & Laughlin to Mallinckrodt. 

12/3

DOE Hanford Declassified Document Retrieval System (DDRS) 

No relevant documents identified. 03/2

DOE Legacy Management Considered Sites New York Operations Office monthly report and a DOE Office 

of Legacy Management fact sheet. 

10/2

DOE Legacy Management - Grand Junction FUSRAP documents and surveys, interior and exterior 

radiological surveys, characterization and hazard categorization, and a Tonawanda Area monthly progress report. 

01/3

DOE Legacy Management - MoundView (Fernald Holdings, includes Fernald Legal Database) 

NLO weekly and monthly reports, a memo with measures to reduce air dust at the rod turning operation, and a LOOW progress report mentioning delivery of stencils to Bliss & Laughlin. 

03/0

DOE OpenNet Linking Legacies Appendix B identifies Bliss & Laughlin as a 

uranium machining operator. 

03/2

DOE OSTI Energy Citations No relevant documents identified. 03/2DOE OSTI Information Bridge No relevant documents identified. 03/2DOE Fernald Records Center, prior to DOE Legacy Management jurisdiction 

Air samples from rod turning operation. 06/2

37 of 53 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL 

Table A1-1: Data Capture Synopsis for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Data Capture Information Data Captured Description Dat

Google Nuclear News Weapons Program remediation and compensation 

articles, US Army Corps of Engineers closure reports, record of decision and RI/FS news releases, a Brookings Institution report 

identifying Bliss & Laughlin as an NLO subcontractor, a listing of contaminated Buffalo, NY sites compiled by the city of Buffalo, and a Bechtel status report. 

03/2

Kansas City Federal Records Center (FRC) (Lenexa) FUSRAP surveys, sample logs, characterization, radiological 

dose and safety assessments, and fact sheet. 

03/0

Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Team Analysis of Bliss & Laughlin air sample data. 03/2National Academies Press (NAP) No relevant documents identified. 03/2National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) - Nevada Site Office 

No relevant documents identified. 03/2

NRC Agencywide Document Access and Management (ADAMS) 

Long term surveillance and maintenance program report and a FUSRAP management requirements and policies manual. 

03/2

Unknown FUSRAP documents and surveys, Madison Square Office 

uranium inventories and New York Operations Office reports. 

07/

Washington State University (U.S. Transuranium and Uranium Registries) 

No relevant documents identified. 03/2

TOTAL 

38 of 53 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL 

Table A1-2: Database Searches for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Database/Source Keywords 

bliss & laughlin "niagara cold drawn" "niagara cold" "cold drawn" "niagara lasalle" "ramco-fitzsimmons" "ramco" "b & l steel" "b and l steel" "bliss and laughlin" "laughlin" 

DOE CEDR http://cedr.lbl.gov/ COMPLETED 03/22/2009 

"bliss" 

bliss & laughlin "bliss and laughlin" "b & l steel" "b and l steel" "laughlin" "bliss" "ramco" "niagara cold" "cold drawn" "niagara cold drawn" "niagara lasalle" 

DOE Hanford DDRS http://www2.hanford.gov/declass/ COMPLETED 03/22/2009 

"ramco-fitzsimmons" 

bliss & laughlin steel bliss & laughlin bliss and laughlin "b and l steel" "ramco" 

DOE OpenNet http://www.osti.gov/opennet/advancedsearch.jsp COMPLETED 03/22/2009 

"niagara cold" 

39 of 53 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL 

Table A1-2: Database Searches for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Database/Source Keywords 

"cold drawn" "niagara cold drawn" "niagara lasalle" "ramco-fitzsimmons" "b & l steel" "bliss and laughlin" "laughlin" "bliss" bliss & laughlin "niagara cold drawn" "niagara lasalle" "ramco-fitzsimmons" "niagara cold" "cold drawn" "ramco" "b & l steel" "b and l steel" "bliss and laughlin" "laughlin" 

DOE OSTI Energy Citations http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/ COMPLETED 03/22/2009 

"bliss" 

bliss & laughlin "niagara cold drawn" "niagara cold" "cold drawn" "niagara lasalle" "ramco-fitzsimmons" "ramco" "b & l steel" "b and l steel" "bliss and laughlin" 

DOE OSTI Information Bridge http://www.osti.gov/bridge/advancedsearch.jsp COMPLETED 03/22/2009 

"laughlin" 

40 of 53 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL 

Table A1-2: Database Searches for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Database/Source Keywords 

"bliss" bliss & laughlin "niagara cold drawn" "niagara cold" "cold drawn" "niagara lasalle" "ramco-fitzsimmons" "ramco" "b & l steel" "b and l steel" "bliss and laughlin" "laughlin" 

National Academies Press http://www.nap.edu/ COMPLETED 03/22/2009 

"bliss" 

bliss & laughlin bliss & laughlin "niagara cold drawn" "niagara cold" "cold drawn" "niagara lasalle" "ramco-fitzsimmons" "ramco" "b & l steel" "b and l steel" "bliss and laughlin" "laughlin" 

NNSA - Nevada Site Office www.nv.doe.gov/main/search.htm COMPLETED 03/22/2009 

"bliss" 

bliss & laughlin steel "niagara cold drawn" "niagara lasalle" "ramco-fitzsimmons" 

NRC ADAMS Reading Room http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/web-based.html COMPLETED 03/22/2009 

"b & l steel" 

41 of 53 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL 

Table A1-2: Database Searches for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Database/Source Keywords 

"niagara cold" "cold drawn" "ramco" "b and l steel" "bliss and laughlin" "laughlin" "bliss" "bliss and laughlin" "b & l steel" "b and l steel" "laughlin" "bliss" "ramco" "niagara cold" "cold drawn" "niagara cold drawn" bliss & laughlin "niagara lasalle" 

U.S. Transuranium & Uranium Registries http://www.ustur.wsu.edu/ COMPLETED 03/22/2009 

"ramco-fitzsimmons" 

bliss laughlin bliss laughlin steel "b and l steel" "ramco/fitzsimmons" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "americium" OR "Am241" OR "Am-241" OR "Am 241" OR "241Am" OR "241-Am" OR "241 Am" 

Google http://www.google.com COMPLETED 03/20/2009 

"bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "ionium" OR "Th230" OR "Th-230" OR "Th 230" OR "230Th" OR "230-Th" OR "230 Th" 

42 of 53 
SEC-00131 06-30-09 FINAL 

Table A1-2: Database Searches for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Database/Source Keywords 

"bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "neptunium" OR "Np237" OR Np-237 OR Np 237 OR 237Np OR 237-Np OR 237 Np OR palm OR palmolive "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" polonium OR Po210 OR Po-210 OR Po 210 OR 210Po OR 210-Po OR 210 Po "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" thorium OR thoria OR Th232 OR Th-232 OR Th 232 OR 232Th OR 232-Th OR 232 Th OR Z metal OR Z-metal OR myrnalloy OR chemical 10-66 OR "chemical 1066" OR "chemical 10 66" OR "chemical 18-12" OR "chemical 1812" OR "chemical 18 12" OR "chemical 10-12" OR "chemical 1012" OR "chemical 10 12" OR UX1 OR UX2 OR Th-234 OR Th234 OR "Th 234" OR 234-Th OR 234Th OR "234 Th" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" tritium OR H3 OR H3 OR mint OR HTO "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" uranium OR U233 OR U-233 OR "U 233" OR 233U OR 233-U OR "233 U" OR U234 OR "U 234" OR U-234 OR 234U OR 234-U OR "234 U" OR U235 OR "U 235" OR U-235 OR 235-U OR 235U OR "235 U" OR U238 OR "U 238" OR U-238 OR 238-U OR 238U OR "238 U" OR U308 OR "U 308" OR U-308 OR 308-U OR 308U OR "308 U" OR "black oxide" OR "brown oxide" OR "green salt" OR "orange oxide" OR "yellow cake" OR UO2 OR UO3 OR UF4 OR UF6 OR C-216 OR C-616 OR C-65 OR C-211 OR "U3O8 (uranium extraction OR uranium dioxide OR uranium hexafluoride OR uranium tetrafluoride OR uranium trioxide)" 

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Table A1-2: Database Searches for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Database/Source Keywords 

"bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" plutonium OR Pu238 OR Pu238 OR "Pu 238" OR 238Pu OR 238-Pu OR "238 Pu" OR Pu-239 OR Pu239 OR "Pu 239" OR 239Pu OR 239-Pu OR "239 Pu" OR Pu-240 OR Pu240 OR "Pu 240" OR 240Pu OR 240-Pu OR "240 Pu" OR Pu-241 OR Pu241 OR "Pu 241" OR 241Pu OR 241-Pu OR "241 Pu" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" radium OR Ra-226 OR Ra226 OR "Ra 226" OR 226-Ra OR 226Ra OR "226 Ra" OR Ra-228 OR Ra228 OR "Ra 228" OR 228Ra OR 228-Ra OR "228 Ra" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" radon OR Rn-222 OR Rn222 OR "Rn 222" OR 222Rn OR 222-Rn OR "222 Rn" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" thoron OR Rn-220 OR Rn220 OR "Rn 220" OR 220Rn OR 220-Rn OR "220 Rn" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" protactinium OR Pa234m OR Pa234m OR "Pa 234m" OR 234mPa OR 234m-Pa OR "234m Pa" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" strontium OR Sr-90 OR Sr90 OR "Sr 90" OR 90-Sr OR 90Sr OR "90 Sr" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" oralloy "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" postum "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" tuballoy 

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Table A1-2: Database Searches for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Database/Source Keywords 

"bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "uranyl nitrate hexahydrate" OR UNH "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" K-65 "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "sump cake" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" accident "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "air count" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "air dust" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "air filter" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "airborne test" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" alpha "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "belgian congo ore" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" beta "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" bioassay OR bioassay "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" breath OR "breathing zone" OR BZ "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "body burden" 

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Table A1-2: Database Searches for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Database/Source Keywords 

"bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" calibration "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "chest count" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" collimation "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" contamination "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" curie "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" denitration OR "denitration pot" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" derby OR regulus "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "derived air concentration" OR DAC "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" dose "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" dosimeter "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" dosimetric "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" dosimetry "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" electron "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" environment "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "Ether-Water Project" 

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Table A1-2: Database Searches for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Database/Source Keywords 

"bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "exposure" OR "exposure investigation" OR "radiation exposure" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" external "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "F machine" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" fecal "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "feed material" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" femptocurie "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" film "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" fission "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" fluoroscopy "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program" OR FUSRAP "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" gamma-ray OR "gamma ray" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "gas proportional" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "gaseous diffusion" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "health (health instrument OR health physics)" OR H.I. OR HI OR HP 

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Table A1-2: Database Searches for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Database/Source Keywords 

"bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "highly enriched uranium" OR HEU "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" hydrofluorination "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "in vitro" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "in vivo" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" incident "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" ingestion "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" inhalation "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" internal "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" investigation "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" isotope "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" isotopic "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "isotopic enrichment" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" JS Project "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" LORauer "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "liquid scintillation" 

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Table A1-2: Database Searches for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Database/Source Keywords 

"bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "log (log sheet OR log book)" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "low enriched uranium" OR LEU "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "lung count" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "maximum permissible concentration" OR MPC "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" metallurgy "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" microcurie "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" millicurie "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "mixed fission product" OR MFP "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "monitor (air monitoring)" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" nanocurie "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "nasal wipe" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" neutron "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "nose wipe" 

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Table A1-2: Database Searches for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Database/Source Keywords 

"bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "nuclear (ChicagoNuclear OR nuclear fuels)" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "nuclear track emulsion type A" OR NTA "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "occupational radiation exposure" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" occurrence "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "ore concentrate" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "PC Project" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "permit (radiation work permit OR safe work permit OR special work permit)" OR "RWP OR SWP" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "phosphate research" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" photofluorography "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" photon "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" picocurie "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" pitchblende "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "pocket ion chamber" OR PIC 

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Table A1-2: Database Searches for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Database/Source Keywords 

"bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" problem "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" procedure "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" radeco "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" radiation "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" radioactive "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" radioactivity "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" radiograph "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" radiological "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "Radiological Survey Data Sheet" OR RSDS "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" radionuclide "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" raffinate "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" reactor "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" respiratory "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "retention schedules" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" roentgen 

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Table A1-2: Database Searches for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Database/Source Keywords 

"bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "sample (air sample OR dust sample OR general area air sample)" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "sampling (air sampling OR dust sampling OR general area air sampling)" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "solvent extraction" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "source (sealed source)" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" spectra "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" spectrograph "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" spectroscopy "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" spectrum "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "standard (operating OR processing OR etc)" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "survey (building survey OR routine OR special)" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "technical basis" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "thermal diffusion" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "thermoluminescent dosimeter" OR TLD 

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Table A1-2: Database Searches for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Database/Source Keywords 

"bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "Tiger Team" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "tolerance dose" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "uranium aluminum alloy" OR UAlx OR "uranium aluminide" "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" urinalysis "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" urine "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "whole body count" OR WBC "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" "working level" OR WL "bliss & laughlin" OR "niagara cold drawn" OR "niagara lasalle" OR "ramco-fitzsimmons" OR "b & l steel" X-ray OR "X ray" OR "Xray (x-ray screening)" 

Table A1-3: OSTI Documents Ordered for Bliss & Laughlin Steel Company 

Document Number Document Title 

No documents ordered.